Corn harvester and husker.



No. 786,239. PATENTED MAR; 28,1905. J. A. STONE.

CORN HARVESTER- AND HUSKER.

APPLIGATION FILED OCT. 22, 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 786,239. PATENTED MAR. 28, 1905.

' J. A. STONE.

CORN vHARVESTER AND HUSKER. APPLICATION FILED OUT. 22, 1904.

4 SHBBTSSHIJET 2.

N0. 786,239. 7 PATENTED MAR. 28, 1905. J. A. STONE.

CORN HARVESTER AND .HUSKER. APPLIAGATION FILED 001 22, 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

PATENTED MAR. 28, 1905.

J. STONE. 001m HARVBSTER AND HUSKBR.

APPLICATION FILED 00122, 1904.

4 SHEETS-SHEBT L.

UNITED STATES Patented March 28, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

CORN HARVESTER AND. HUSKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 786,239, dated March28, 1905.

Application filed October 22, 1904. Serial No. 229,526.

To all whoiwit may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. STONE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Im provements in Corn Harvesters andHuskers, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

Myinvention relates to corn-harvesters, and in particular to that typeof machine designed to detach the ears from the standing stalks andconvey them to a husking mechanism, (not shown;) and the object of theinvention is to provide such machine with improved gathering devices toproperly present the stalks to the snapping-rollers, an improved form ofsnapping-roller, a grain-saving attachment to catch any grain that maybe shelled from theears of corn by the action of the feeding or snappingrollers, and such other improved devices as will be more particularlyillustrated by the drawings and described in the specificationaccompanying this application.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of so much of amachine of theabove class sufficient to show the application of myinvention. Fig. 2 is a view, partly in section, taken from the oppositeside of the machine from that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail of thegrain-saving device. Fig. 4 is a detail of a part of thesnapping-rollers and ear-conveyer at their forward ends. Fig. 5 is asectional detail on line A B of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a sectional detail ofpart of the grainsaving device. Fig. 7 is a detail of the drivingmechanism of the snapping-rollers. Fig. 8 is a sectional detail of partof the rollerdriving mechanism on line C D of Fig. 1. Fig. 9 is asectional detail on line E Fof Fig. 1. Fig. 10 is a detached view of thesnapping-rollers, and Figs. 11, 12, 13, 14:, 15, 16, and 17 are detailsof the same.

Like numerals represent the same parts throughout the various views.

18 represents one of the carrying-wheels, and 19 is a portion of themain frame, upon which is suitably mounted the frame 20, which supportsthe gathering and snapping devices.

These devices consist in part of gatheringchains 21, havingcarrying-lingers 22, located upon opposite sides of a stalk-passage 23,adapted to allow a row of corn to pass along it, feeding or forwardingrolls 24, having spirally-arranged ribs projecting therefrom and beingtapered at their forward ends and also located upon opposite sides ofthe passage 23 below the carrying-chains 21.

The machine is provided with the usual gathering-prongs upon oppositesides of the stalk-passage, having divider-points 25 at their ends. Thegathering-chains 21 operate from points near the rear end of thedividerpoints 25 upward and rearward and serve to pick up the fallenstalks and, in conjunction with the feeding and forwarding rollers 24.,deliver them to the snapping-rollers 26, located in rear of and belowthe said gatheringchains and feeding-rollers and also extendingrearwardly and upwardly parallel with them.

The snapping-rollers are mounted in a suitable frame and are givenmotion in opposite directions and operate to feed the stalks rearwardand downward between them and to snap or break the ears from the stalks.It is preferred that one of the rollers be located in a higher planethan the other for the purpose of inclining the ears toward theconveyer-chute. As the ears of corn are disengaged from the stalks theydrop into a trough or chute 27 at one side and below the plane of therollers. An endless carrier 28, provided with flights 29, operatesupward and rearward along the bottom of said trough to carry the ears tothe husking mechanism. (Not shown.) At the lower end of the chute 27there is locateda receptacle or boot 30, and 31 is a grain-savingattachment located beneath the snapping-rollers and extending rearwardbeyond the same. The attachment consists of a plate-like frame 32,suitably supported upon the main frame and having bearings for thejournals of sprocket-wheels 33 and 3 1 at opposite ends of the same. Anendless carrier, having carrying-fingers 35, is given motion by thesprocketwheels,and 36 and 37 are upstandingguides for the back of thechain, and 38 is an upstanding rim surrounding the plate 32 and forming,with the guides 36 and 37, a receiving-channel 39, into which any cornthat is shelled by the operation of the snapping-rollers is caught andby means of the deflecting-screen 40, arranged beneath the saidsnapping-rollers, is directed into the receptacle. The grain-savingdevice is connected at its forward end with the boot 3(), and theendless carrier operates to deliver the shelled corn into it, as shownin Fig. 3, from which it is elevated and carried along with the ears tothe h usking mechanism. The endless carrier is given motion through thesprocket-wheels by means of the shaft 41, connected with theroller-driving mechanism, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The snapping-rollers 26 are of a well-known form relative to their bodyportion, having the tapering forward ends, forming an entrancethroat forthe stalks, and the rearwardly-extending cylindrical portions, havingparallel sides and terminating in short cylindrical portions providedwith longitudinal grooves and ribs. The rollers are journaled at theirrear ends in a bracket-casting 42, secured to the gathering-frame 20,and at their forward ends in blocks 43 and 44, secured to parts of theframe 20 upon opposite sides of the stalk-passage, as shown in Figs. 4and 5. They are provided with an improved form of spirally-arranged ribsthroughout the greater part of their length. As shown in Fig. 10, theribs have branch portions 45, offset from and arranged parallel with themain portion, and the branches are so located upon theoppositely-disposed rollers that as the rollers revolve toward eachother the spirally-arranged branch on one roller will coincide with thespace between the branch and main portion of the rib upon the other-that is, if the branch ribs were high enough they would intermesh onewith the other. The preferred form of arrangement of the series ofbranch ribs is to have the connections or offset portions in a linesubstantially parallel with the axis of the roller and with two lines ofbranches upon each roller. The rollers are so mounted that in the normalworking of the machine the outer surfaces of the ribs will nearlycontact one with the other. The branch ribs are gradually reduced inheight as they extend from the main or trunk portion, having but a shortportion of their outer surfaces the same heightas the main spirals. Theaction of the main spirals conveys the stalks rearward as they are drawnthrough between the coacting rollers, and the function of the branchspirals is to hold the stalk in place between the branch and main trunkwhile the bridge 01' crotch portions 46 take a firm hold upon the stalkand force or snap the ears therefrom.

As shown in Fig. 7, the rollers are held in yielding contact at theirrear ends by means of the hooked rod 47, connected with the slidingbearing at one end and passing through an ear 48 on the sup)ortingbracket 42 and provided with a coiled spring 48, surrounding itsouter end, which abuts against the ear 48, the tension of the springbeing regulated, by means of the nut 49, in the well-known way. Therollers are held in yielding relation at their forward ends by means ofthe bearing-block 44, being pivoted at 50 to a fixed support secured tothe frame and having its lower end yieldingly held against the frame bymeans of the spring 51 and bolt 52 in a wellknown manner, as shown inFigs. 4 and 5.

At the forward ends of the snapping-rollers there is mounted a swingingdeflector-arm 53, that normally projects across the stalk-passage, asshown in Figs. 4 and 5. The arm has a vertical portion 54, that isjournaled on the frame in a fixed bearing 55. and below the bearing issecured a crank-arm 56, that is normally held in contact with the fixedframe by means of the spring 57 and bolt 58, as clearly shown-in Fig. 4.The function of the arm is to deflect any ears that may accidentallyslide down the snapping-rollers into the receivingchute 27.

The function of the spring 57 is to yieldingly hold the arm 53 acrossthe stalk-passage for the purpose of deflecting any dropping ears, asaforesaid, and to allow said arm to swing beforethe action of theincoming stalks.

Motion is communicated to the various operating parts in the followingmanner: The shaft 59 is what,may be termed the primary driving-shaft ofthe gathering, conveying, and snapping mechanism, and it derives motionin any preferred manner from the main driving or traction wheels and isprovided with a fly-wheel 60 at its outer end 'to assist in maintaininga steady motion for the operative parts and extends forward and downwardand connects with a sprocket-wheel 61, provided with a spur gear-wheel62, that meshes with spur-pinions 63 and 64, and pinion 64 meshes withpinion 65, the two lastnamed pinions forming the driving-gear of thesnapping-rollers, as shown in Fig. 7. Pinion 63 gives motion to shaft66, suitably journaled in one side of the gathering-frame, as shown inFig. 1, and secured to the said shaft near its middle portion is abevel-pinion 67, meshing with a bevel-Wheel 68, secured to the lower endof a short vertical shaft having a journal-bearing supported upon theframe and provided with a sprocket-wheel at its upper end that givesmotion to one of the gathering-chains 21. The shaft 66 is journaled atits forward end in a bracket 69, secured to one side of thegathering-frame, as shown in Fig. 8, and has a pinion 70 securedthereto, that meshes with an intermediate pinion 71, that meshes withpinion 72, secured to the rear end of the feeding-roller 24 upon thesame side of the stalk-passage. The gears are protected by a shield 73,surrounding them.

Referring to Fig. 2 of the drawings, a

IIO

- means of the sprocket-wheel 75, secured to the rear end thereof, whichis driven by means shaft 74: is suitably journaled in brackets securedto the gathering-frame upon that side of the stalk-passage and is givenmotion by of asprocket-chain 76,that connects said wheel with thesprocket-wheel 61 upon the opposite side of the stalk-passage, as shownin Fig. 9. The shaft 74 near its middle portion has a bevel-pinion 77secured thereto, that meshes with a bevel-wheel 7 8, secured to ashort'vertical shaft that is suitably journaled in asupporting-bearingand has a sprocket secured to its lower end, that gives motion to thegathering-chain upon that side of the stalk-passage similarto thatlocated upon the opposite side. At the forward end of shaft 74 there issecured a bevel-pinion 79, that meshes with a bevel-wheel 80, secured tothe upper end of a short vertical shaft that is suitably journaled in aportion of the gathering-frame and has secured to its lower endabevel-wheel 81, that meshes with a bevel-pinion 82, secured to theforward end ofa short shaft 83, suitably journaled in brackets securedto the gathering-frame and extending rearward has the spur-pinion 84secured thereto, which meshes with the intermediate spur-pinion 85, thatdrives the spur-pinion 86, secured to the rear end of the feeding-rollerupon that side of the stalk-passage, as shown in Fig. 8, and a shield 87protects the gears like that shown upon the opposite side.

hat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is i I. In amachine of the class described, in combination, coactingsnapping-rollers provided with spirally-arranged ribs adapted to conveythe stalks rearward, said ribs having branch spirals offset therefrom.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of coactingsnapping-rollers provided with spirally-arranged ribs adapted to conveythe stalks rearward, said ribs having 1 branches offset therefrom, andhavlng their l terminals arranged substantially parallel with thecarrying-ribs.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination of coactingsnapping-rollers provided with spirally-arranged ribs adapted to conveythe stalks rearward, said ribs having branches offset therefrom that aregradually reduced in height as they recede therefrom.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination of coactingsnapping-rollers provided with spirally-arranged ribs adapted to conveythe stalks rearward, said ribs having substantially parallel branchesoffset therefrom that are gradually reduced in height as they recedetherefrom.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination ofcoactingsnapping-rollers provided with spirally-arranged ribs adapted toconvey the stalks rearward, said ribs having a series of branch spiralsoffset therefrom said series being substantially in a line parallel withthe axes of the rollers.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination of coactingsnapping-rollers provided with spirally-arranged ribs adapted to conveythe stalks rearward, said ribs having one or more series of branchspirals offset therefrom said series being substantially in a lineparallel with the axes of the rollers.

7. In a machine of the class described, the combination of coactingsnapping-rollers adapted to detach the cars from the stalks, anear-conveying chute at one side ofthe said snapping-rollers to receivethe ears therefrom, a shelled-corn receptacle beneath the saidsnapping-rollers, an endless moving conveyer in said receptacle, saidendless conveyer operating to convey the shelled corn from saidreceptacle into said ear-conveying chute.

In witness whereof I hereto affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN A. STONE. WVitnesses:

T. H. ALFREDS, MARTIN Swanson.

